Day: October 31, 2016

I am constantly amazed when I find synthesis between the secular and non-secular worlds. Often this happens in terms of sayings and phrases that people use in order to empower themselves. Mantras if you will. Adam Braun writes, “Speak the language of the person you wish to become.” which aligns with “Be the change you seek” etc. Braun, the founder of Pencils of Promise has five phrases he says can empower your life. In addition to the phrase above he writes, “Challenge your assumptions, so that you can find your truths… If you find your inherent truths you will never be led wrong.” This is one thing I’ve struggled with spiritually and practically over the course of my life.

I struggle with finding my truths and in that I struggle with identifying my purpose beyond what I’ve already done. No, this is not a mid-life crisis. I have struggled with this very thing since I was 12 years old. Back then I thought baseball was the answer. Two years later I thought football was the answer. Since then I have bounced back and forth between a number of possible truths and answers and ideas.

I think it might boil down to something a friend once said. Everything we do is about giving or receiving love. Perhaps a lot of what I do is to seek out love or even to give it. That ought to be an inherent truth. It also might be an assumption.

Some Thoughts:

1. Got into a discussion about gender roles in class and was instantly reminded of where I am. I live in AZ where gender stereotyping is so complete that the idea of a boy cooking in an easy bake oven automatically translates into ‘you’re making him soft’. No, I’m making him independent.

Sunday mornings are meant for Writer’s Group and football. I decided to skip group in order to go to an awards banquet for the boys. All three are AYF Scholar Ballers, achieving a 3.79 or higher GPA. I don’t know how much of a role I played in that other than constantly demanding they do homework. I don’t know that I’ve engaged in a home life that is built around study as many Tiger parents do. No, We are about having fun and playing sports. Moving forward I want to get back into guerrilla teaching and get the boys and myself engaged in applying academics and athleticism outside of the classroom and outside of the stripes.

I leave the balance of my time to some thoughts…

 

Some Thoughts:

1. I’m bothered by the stupidity of political ads. The ‘Hillary Failed’ ad is among the worst. It lays at her feet the blame for ISIS, Russian aggression in Crimea, and a host of other things that were, honestly, beyond her scope in any role she has been in. It is as if they’re blaming her for her husband’s history and Obama’s history–which by the way were not bad at all. We ought to review the facts and speak towards actions. I don’t like Hillary–never have–but I recognize her ability and potency as a presidential candidate and would like to honestly consider her history as first lady, senator, and Secretary of State.
2. Still smarting over the loss to the Bandits. It sucks to see the kids work so hard to get somewhere and then not make it. Not to mention that as a coach and a dad I wanted it pretty bad myself. If I am going to talk about honesty then I need to own my own ego in this position.
3. As I type the Cleveland Browns are battling the Jets. Browns are thumping them pretty good. Still, faith leads me to say I don’t know who is going to win. That bugs me, because it should be a no-brainer. The Jets should be dominating. I guess the Jets just aren’t that good on either side of the ball.
4. I find that I work better sitting at a table. It has to be a table that requires chairs–not sitting on the floor with a computer on the table or sitting on my couch or leaning back in my desk chair.